Assistant Manager - Pre-Audit (HVAC Industry)

This role involves independently reviewing transactions and documents across all departments prior to approval, posting, commitment, or payment. The primary objective is to identify errors, missing paperwork, duplicates, unauthorized commitments, and control weaknesses at an early stage. The position supports operations related to HVAC, firefighting, plumbing, solar, and renewable-energy import and distribution.

Key Responsibilities

Purchases: Verify requisitions, quotations, purchase orders, pricing, terms, budgets, and authorization levels. Identify and flag split or duplicate orders as well as potential conflicts of interest.

Supplier Payments: Match invoices against purchase orders and goods received notes. Ensure accuracy in calculations, taxes, advances, and bank details. Hold payments when supporting documents are incomplete or missing.

Imports, Letters of Credit, and Customs: Cross-check invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, insurance certificates, and goods declaration documents. Verify all components of landed costs for accuracy.

Sales: Review discounts, credit limits, returns, and invoices to ensure they align with approved orders and dispatch documentation.

Inventory: Examine receipts, transfers, dispatches, write-offs, and inventory adjustments for compliance and accuracy.

Expenses and Human Resources: Validate expense claims, petty cash usage, payroll changes, advances, and settlements.

Finance and General Ledger: Review journal entries, accruals, tax documents, and account coding prior to posting.

Assets and Projects: Confirm capital expenditure approvals, contractor invoices, milestone claims, and budget adherence.

Branches: Analyze daily and monthly reports, reconciling cash, bank balances, and stock records.

Reporting: Maintain a pre-audit register documenting observations including issues, evidence, risks, and recommended actions. Track follow-ups, prepare periodic reports, and suggest improvements to internal controls.

Process: Each case is logged in a register and reviewed against a checklist. Outcomes are recorded as Cleared, Returned, or Escalated. It is important to note that clearance is a control verification step and does not substitute for management approval.

Authority and Limits

The role authorizes requesting additional documents, returning non-compliant items, and escalating suspected fraud or control breaches. However, it does not include authority to approve payments, select suppliers, negotiate terms, alter source documents, or override established approval limits. Maintaining objectivity and refraining from reviewing one’s own work is mandatory.

Required Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or Business is essential. Professional certifications such as ACCA, CA, or ICMA are preferred. Candidates should have 3 to 5 years of experience in audit, accounting, or internal controls, with a preference for those familiar with trading or import operations.

Skills

Strong attention to detail, thorough knowledge of internal control frameworks, proficiency in ERP systems and Excel, clear and concise writing abilities, along with high levels of integrity and confidentiality are critical for success in this role.

Key Performance Indicators

Performance will be measured based on coverage, turnaround time, identification of exceptions, quality of documentation, timely closure of follow-ups, improvements in controls, and punctuality in reporting.

Relationships

This position requires collaboration with all internal departments. Externally, authorized interactions include suppliers, banks, clearing agents, and tax consultants.

This role offers an opportunity to contribute significantly to the integrity and efficiency of financial and operational processes within the HVACR and renewable energy sectors.